When I heard that probably the most important Horror film ever made was being shown as part of Quad's wonderful 'Fright Club' offerings, I was determined to put a long run of bad health to one side and attend.
15th June 2024, saw me making a 15 miles trip and took my seat to enjoy an exceptional introduction by Darrell Buxton who should be familiar to avid consumers of cult cinema. Darrell talked for 15 minutes about this classic slice of relentless horror, and even found time to give us a rundown on the rest of the Chain Saw films in a series that simply refuses to relinquish its collective grip.
Before Darrell's introduction, the audience were asked to signal with a show of hands just how many of them had seen TTCM before and a surprising number hadn't. Oh boy! I envy them getting a first view of this film on the big screen. The film has been rightly treated to a 4K restoration, and why not? True, there is a lot to be said for nostalgia-driven insistence that Hooper's sonic assault on our senses should be seen in Grindhouse image quality but the director always wanted his film to look as good as possible and it looks amazing in this new transfer. There's a healthy presence of grain here, and many scenes where the colours pop to further heighten the unease created by what is very much a descent into hell via the gorgeous scenery of a world they must leave behind to confront a truly nightmarish locale.
I have seen this film many times, ranging from blurry 3rd gen VHS boots, right up to pristine blu-ray editions, but last night's screening to things to another level. And then some.
Here, the performances took us to a new, astonishing dimension. While Paul A Partain's rendering of Franklin Hardesty had previously irritated me beyond annoyance, last night I finally saw just what a beautifully judged performance it always has been, switching from a frankly deranged persona to a guy who is perhaps the smartest of the bunch. Of course, the most talked about turn has to be Marilyn Burns who plays Sally Hardesty. To see her reactions, the sheer terror in her face during that final gruelling third of the movie on the big screen increased my admiration tenfold. If you're looking for the most physically and mentally challenging role that a script has demanded in the history of Horror Cinema, well.... this is the girl.Indeed, the silver screen captured this remarkable performance in its extreme, and demonstrated this was never a case of just turning up and screaming blue murder. There's a frightening realism to her performance that draws both admiration and also an ever increasing sense of horror as we are forced to watch and not look away for even a moment. That's one of the most compelling things about Hooper's film: you are hypnotised by its savagery yet it's a relatively bloodless affair though last night, I did notice a few drops that had thus far eluded me.
One of the things that came over infinitely stronger with this special screening were the set designs. This charnel house of horrors looks and feels even more disturbing, with constant reminders we are dealing with something that has its roots in tradition of the most horrifying 'religion' and something that cannot and will not cease, even as some of the participants grow more decrepit. There's a philosophy and a mindset at play here that is simply too strong for anyone to escape with their mind intact and that remains one of the most troubling elements of the film. I have to say that Hooper injected moments of humour into this work, but I listened out for audience chuckles last night and not a sound of even nervous laughter came through. The sight of Drayton Sawyer treats The Hitchhiker to the business end of a broom should come across as hilarious, but instead it's yet another moment of great unease because of the way it's shot, directed and portrayed. Praise too, for the soundtrack which is made up of industrial, discordant sound that really does add immeasurably to the ever present atmosphere of dread and decay. o be honest, discussing another important part of this film is way beyond me: the astrological theme of this film really does need to be discussed by those far more capable and astute than myself, because it's an important part of TTCM and deserves many column inches.
To those who have yet to see this film, warn you that it will most seriously screw up your year, but as a wholly disconcerting example of how unforgiving, how brutal this genre can be, it's quite honestly unbeatable. Thanks very much to Quad and all those involved for making this such a special event.
